West Newbury, MA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in West Newbury: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in West Newbury and Essex County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Essex County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Essex County compares with Massachusetts
Essex County against Massachusetts and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Essex County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Essex County | Massachusetts | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 18.6 | 22.9 | 49.7 | 19% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 7.7% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.8% | 27.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.6% | 13.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.3% | 41.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.9% | 19.2% | 24.8% | same |
Essex County has lower values than Massachusetts for crashes per 100k residents / yr and deaths per 100 crashes. It runs above Massachusetts on garbage-truck share.
Essex County at a glance: 1 in 13 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 7.7%, vs 5.3% in Massachusetts.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,776 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Essex County. They injured 816 people and killed 33.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Only 3 truck crashes were reported in West Newbury since 2015; patterns below come from Essex County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 43.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in Massachusetts.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 8.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 6.6% of truck crashes, compared with 6.6% in Massachusetts.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of West Newbury since 2015 were spread across roads: I-495 (2), SR-286 (2), I-95 (1), SR-110 (1) and SR-121A (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 137 crashes, 7.7% of the total, against 5.3% across Massachusetts.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (12% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.8 deaths compared with 1.7 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for West Newbury fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Essex County.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Essex County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-495 | 2 |
| SR-286 | 2 |
| I-95 | 1 |
| SR-110 | 1 |
| SR-121A | 1 |
| SR-125 | 1 |
| US-1 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Essex County) |
|---|---|
| Rte 495 | 23 |
| Rte 1 | 17 |
| Broadway | 12 |
| Main St | 12 |
| Rte 95 | 11 |
| Lowell St | 7 |
| Washington St | 7 |
| Rte 495 S X 97A | 6 |
West Newbury at a glance
| Population | 4,680 |
| Land area | 13.4 sq mi |
| Density | 348 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 01985) | $179,500 |
| Median home value (ZIP 01985) | $810,229 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Essex County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 40 | — | 3.4 |
| 2000s | 112 | +183% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 158 | +42% | 2.8 |
| 2020s | 159 | +1% | 2.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 40 a year in the 1990s and 159 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about West Newbury
How many truck crashes happen in West Newbury?
Since 2015, 1,776 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Essex County (816 injured, 33 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in West Newbury?
Truck crashes in Essex County peak in December, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in West Newbury?
Garbage trucks were involved in 137 reported crashes in Essex County since 2015 (7.7% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in West Newbury compare with Massachusetts?
Per 100,000 residents, Essex County has 18.6 truck crashes a year; Massachusetts has 22.9.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in West Newbury?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.